Life After the Dress {Episode 5} Sophie Smith

Todays interview is with one of our closest friends from University, a very talented photographer and adventure seeker; Sophie. Sophie was the first person we wanted to have capture our engagement in 2012, and she did a fabulous job of it (click here to see the wonderful photographs).

Sophie and her husband Cam are a dynamic couple with a massive heart for adventure and people, and we are so happy to call them our friends.

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)

My name is Sophie Smith and I have been married to my wonderful husband Cameron for almost 3 years and a half years. I am 26 and Cam is 28, and we are just starting out a new season in our lives in Cape Town. I am trained as a photojournalist, a teacher, and most recently, an outdoor adventure leader in the Canadian Rockies. But now we are back to real life in South Africa - I am working for a great online tourism company called Go2Africa as a photographer and image editor and Cam is the manager of a camp facility on the Table Mountain National Park near Llundudno. I am also doing wedding and couple photography and am hoping to expand the business over the next few years . You can see more of my work here>> SophieSmithPhotography

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?

Nala, from the Lion King

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?

We met at the rock climbing wall at Rhodes University and became friends through Dale (Roxy’s hubby). We were friends for a number of years before we started dating… Well, Cam wanted to be more than friends for a number of years before I finally woke up and realized that, in the words of my dad; “He’s a good man and he’s not going to wait around for you forever”.

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

My wedding was wonderful but certainly not what I had imagined it would be when I was growing up. Cam and I kept it very local in Grahamstown and did not want to spend a huge amount of money on our wedding because it was just one day, and we wanted the emphasis to be on our marriage, not on our wedding. An example of this was getting my dress made but then selling it back to the boutique for rentals so I only paid half price. We also got friends and family involved in décor and set-up which was cheaper and way more fun. In retrospect I would have liked to pay a little more attention to some of the details but the people, the weather, and the whole day were wonderful.

There are two pieces of advice that I found useful when preparing for my wedding day. The first was not to stress about how things turned out because only you will know how it was meant to be. The second was to take in every detail and enjoy every moment of the day, don’t wish for the next part of the day, just enjoy every moment because it is over so soon. I took this advice to heart, especially when I was walking down the aisle.

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?

I didn’t find married life a huge challenge or transition, perhaps because Cam and I spent so much time together when we were dating. I think I went into marriage with some unrealistic expectations though and have learnt that, in the words of William Shakespeare, “Expectation is the root of all heartbreak”.

It has been amazing to have a friend and a partner to adventure through life with. We have not, and still do not, know what the future holds but it is great to know that we have God and each other and that is enough.

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

I have learnt that I like to get my own way and normally can’t see how I could possibly be wrong. I’m normally late. I leave the cupboard doors open. I talk too much and don’t listen enough.

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?

Adventure, compromise, team

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

I don’t believe in finding “the one”, because one day you may find “another one”. Marriage is a choice – a choice to love, a choice to forgive, a choice to stay together no matter what. 

As I mentioned earlier, expectations can set you up for disappointment and frustration, especially when they are not communicated properly. Believe it or not, your husband can’t read your mind and know what you want or are hoping for.

Growing up, we watch Disney movies where Prince Charming sweeps the lovely heroine off her feet.  While I love Disney movies, good old Prince Charming messed things up for me a bit. You see, they taught me that the Princess is only happy when she finds her Prince. But in marriage, you have to be whole and secure and happy in yourself before you get married. The other thing I learnt from Disney movies, or came to expect, is that my husband would be perfect and exciting everyday - which he isn’t, and that’s ok, because neither am I. It really helped when I realized that I was very far from a perfect princess and that it was unrealistic and unhelpful to expect Cam to be the perfect husband. In fact I think I like him better for his imperfections (A lot of these ideas are from a great book I read called Before you get Engaged by David Gudgel).

You can find Sophie at the following places:

Website

Instagram

In this series I am interviewing real woman and asking them questions about their lives after their wedding day. I am asking them real questions about their marriages, and of course having them give me and you some pearls of wisdom that they might like to share. If you would like to read more about this series, or if you would like to be featured here on the blog, click here or you can drop me an email here or leave me a comment below.

x

{Creative Business} Series wrap up

Friday last week was the last day of our 2 week series featuring tips and advice from nine South African ladies on starting your own Creative Business. I learned so much from the other ladies, and really enjoyed being a part of the series. To find out what the series was all about, click here.

Here is a wrap up of all the posts. How did you enjoy the series? Did you find the tips useful? I'd love to hear your comments below <3

What's the most important question to ask yourself before starting your own business? on Caitlyn de Beer Life Coaching. 

“Recently I was asked what I feel the most important thing to consider is, before starting your own business. Fortunately being relatively new to the ‘owning’ your own business scene, I knew just the answer….It’s a simple why. The why should come before..” click here to read more

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Should you combine many passions or just choose one? on Megan Galloway Growth Coach.

“So, you want to start something. Something unique. Something creative. Something that gets you bouncing out of bed in the morning ready to inspire and to be inspired. Wonderful! Problem is you have so many ideas, so many passions … how can you possibly know where to focus your energy? As Barbara Sher has titled her book: What do I do when I want to do everything? Sound familiar?..” click here to read more

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The importance of Professionalism – website & photo’s on Ilze Louw Photography. 

“When I started my business I was all over the place, in every aspect, and then I came across this…DEFINE YOUR STYLE AND BUSINESS IN 3 WORDS. So I did, I wrote down 3 words that I wanted to describe my business and stuck it somewhere where I could see it every day. It’s a funny thing, but once I wrote down those 3 words, and seeing it every day, people started telling me (without knowing about my words), how they see my work and business, exactly pin pointing those 3 words. Defining your style and business will not only help you, but will show the outside world that you are serious about what you do, that you have a clear vision and plan.” click here to read more

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Blogging – Where to begin on CityGirlSearching. 

“Blogging. Everyone seems to be doing it and as a newbie blogger it can all seem very intimidating. But that's where I come in. I will be sharing with you tips for starting your blog as well as some advice for growing your blog and getting it to where you want to be.” click here to read more

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How to use Social Media to promote your businesson Sunflowersandspears. 

"It gets really tricky to try to understand how a hashtag(#) can help you get more recognition and an @ symbol is no longer just the middle of an email address but a way of finding people. I have become extremely passionate about Social Media and it's incredible way of turning a business that was once a name on a business card into a name on people's lips. If that is what you are craving for your new business then read on as I try to explain to you how it all helps." click here to read more

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Creating an Online Store on Happiness Is. 

“Ever wanted to sell your products on an online store, but didn’t because it seems scary? I’m going to give you some insight into what’s out there, best practices and what to watch out for.” click here to read more

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Networking on Coffey and cake. 

“We’ve all heard it before... “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” and this has become so true in my journey as a young creative. Networking isn’t easy, it requires courage to step out and make that call, or organise that coffee meeting even if you aren’t sure you will have anything to talk about with the other person. However, networking is one of the most powerful first steps you can take when starting out on your own.” click here to read more

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Bridge jobs (the secret to financing your creative business)on Ruby&Swallow. 

Today we're talking about starting your company while you're still working. How do you juggle both, how do you make sure you don't burn out and more importantly, how you can work towards turning your business into something you can do full time? We've got some tips for you from our very own experiences in growing Ruby+Swallow.” click here to read more

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Creative or Critic: Who’s driving your business venture? on Loving Mondays. 

“So you’ve started your new business venture. Well done – it’s taken lots of courage! But who’s in the driving seat when decisions are made? And who is getting the most airtime when it comes to moving forward? The Creative or the Critic?” click here to read more

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So there you go! A whole load of free resources to help you make get your creative business up and running, and of course, to help you in the road to success. If you have any questions, please feel free to pop a comment below and I'll get back to you.
Good luck!

x

Happy Friday & Happy Thanksgiving!

Farmboy and I aren't American, and as such we don't celebrate Thanksgiving Day. But, we know it's a very special day for America, and it's always a good thing to give thanks for what you have and to be thankful of just how much you do have in life.

So, here is a little list of what I'm thankful for. I'd love to know what you are thankful for today, pop me a comment below <3

And I also had to share these beautiful photographs of a Thanksgiving table, found via The Glitter Guide.

I'm thankful for the following big (and small) things:

*our feather duvet for the very cold nights we have been having lately

*my hot water body (aka my hubby, Farmboy)

*that we are able to keep warm while the temperatures plummet, and many people around the world, especially at home in South Africa, barely have a pile of sticks to make a fire with during the winter times

*for each and every comment here on my blog

*for my family, ALL of them, from my step parents and step sisters, to my baby brother (who actually isn't a baby at all!) and to having all 8 sets of grandparents alive and well

*my sweet students who surprise with me little handwritten notes and chocolates when I least expect

*Whatsapp and Skype (and Facebook!) for being able to keep in touch with family and friends while we are here in Kimchi land

*for our jobs here in Korea. It's far to easy to get used to the stability, comfort and the disposable income that comes from ESL teaching in Korea. I am so grateful to have a job like this right now, when so many of our friends are back home in South Africa are either hating their jobs, or desperately trying to find one

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

x

A story for all Teachers

                                                            {source}

Here in South Korea its wet, cold and very gloomy. Last week was a very busy one for me, prepping for lessons for my middle schools girls. Armed with a bag full of cups, I cycled to school in the rain, ready and excited to teach "The Cup Song" to my girls (if you're not sure what Cup Song is, click here). Sitting at my desk, going through my lessons for the day in my only free for the day, and I get a tap on my shoulder. "Roxy Teacher, this week you have to teach lesson 12 to the third graders. I'm sorry, I was confused last week". So no fun cup song this week, no tap tapping along to a catchy song and singing along to cheesy lyrics, instead my girls will be doing what could quite possibly be the most boring lesson of the year. Oh, and I have 30 minutes to plan the lesson for them. 

So on that note, how is your monday going?

Then I read the story below, and I smiled, and I realised the world is not going to end, my girls might not have the most fun lesson this week, but I get to spend 45 minutes with them today, and I have 45 minutes to make them smile at least once. 

Happy Monday everyone!

x

"On the 6th day, God created men and women. On the 7th day, he rested. Not so much to recuperate, but rather to prepare himself for the work he was going to do on the next day. For it was on that day - the 8th day - that God created the FIRST TEACHER.

This TEACHER, though taken from among men and women, had several significant modifications. In general, God made the TEACHER more durable than other men and women. The TEACHER was made to arise at a very early hour and to go to bed no earlier than 11:30 PM with no rest in between.

The TEACHER had to be able to withstand being locked up in an air-tight classroom for six hours with thirty-five "monsters" on a rainy Monday. And the TEACHER had to be fit to correct 103 papers over Easter vacation. Yes, God made the TEACHER tough... but gentle, too. The TEACHER was equipped with soft hands to wipe away the tears of the neglected and lonely student... those of the sixteen-year old girl who was not asked to the prom.

And into the TEACHER God poured a generous amount of patience. Patience when a student asks to repeat the directions the TEACHER has just repeated for someone else. Patience when the kids forget their lunch money for the fourth day in a row. Patience when one-third of the class fails the test. Patience when the text books haven't arrived yet, and the semester starts tomorrow.

And God gave the TEACHER a heart slightly bigger than the average human heart. For the Teacher's heart had to be big enough to love the kid who screams, "I hate this class - it's boring!" and to love the kid who runs out of the classroom at the end of the period without so much as a "goodbye," let alone a "thank you."

And lastly, God gave the TEACHER an abundant supply of HOPE. For God knew that the TEACHER would always be hoping. Hoping that the kids would someday learn how to spell... hoping not to have lunchroom duty... hoping that Friday would come... hoping for a free day... hoping for deliverance.

When God finished creating the TEACHER, he stepped back and admired the work of His hands. And God saw that the TEACHER was good. Very Good! And God smiled, for when he looked at the TEACHER, he saw into the future.

He knew that the future is in the hands of the TEACHERS. And because God loves TEACHERS so much... on the 9th day God created... SNOW DAYS!"

From Inspire21

{for my South African readers, snow days are days when its too cold to go to school, or when there is too much snow blocking the roads and no one can get to school...I'm looking forward to a few this winter here in Korea!}

Life After the Dress {Episode 3}...Irene Woodhams

Today I am introducing you all to the lovely Irene. Irene is my third guest here on the blog in my new blog series entitled {Life After the Dress}. In this series I am interviewing real woman and asking them questions about their lives after their wedding day. I am asking them real questions about their marriages, and of course having them give me and you some pearls of wisdom that they might like to share. If you would like to read more about this series, or if you would like to be featured here on the blog, click here or you can drop me an email here or leave me a comment below.

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)
My name is Irene (Lulu to family and close friends) and my husband’s name is Moresby. I am 57 and Moresby is 61. I do a little freelance work as a Kitchen Designer and sell retro/vintage items. My blog is called ‘Lulu, Yesteryear Redeemed’. Moresby is a mathematics teacher. We have been married for 34 years (next month) and have two sons. We have lived in the same house for 32 years! To some this might be boring but to us, our home is full of memories!

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?
Oh dear, I have not thought about Disney characters for a very long time! I would say I am a little like Snow White who has a cheerful, trusting nature and motherly character. 

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?
A group of people from our church would meet in the Addington Hospital Chapel before going off to visit patients who did not receive visitors. I remember the day Moresby walked into the small chapel and I thought, wow, what a nice looking guy! He had his hands in his pockets and a friendly smile on his face. 7 
months later we were married! Many family and friends thought that we were rushing but we knew that the Lord would be the foundation of our marriage. I was 23 and Moresby was 27.

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?
Our wedding was wonderful. We got married on 21 December 1979. I don’t just mean the pretty things on the table or the flowers. Even after all these years, I have memories of holding my dad’s arm and how emotional he was as he walked me down the isle. The excitement and smile on Moresby’s face that I was about to become his wife. The pastor’s message. How we held hands as we said our vows to each other and to the Lord. And lastly as we turned to leave the church and saw everyone sharing in our joy! 

My advice to brides-to-be is to enjoy every moment of your wedding day because it all goes by so quickly! Ask family and friends to take lots of photos – often they capture special moments which the photographer doesn’t. 

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be? 
To be honest, all I hoped for was our marriage to be a happy one. But we both realized that to be happy we would always have to consider each other. We decided that we would never make a decision no matter how small without consulting the other. We still do it to this day. As the years passed we bought a home, had children, lived on a tight budget so that I could be at home with the boys and then we went through the teenage years! All those experiences brought happiness and challenges to our marriage. Sometimes we reacted differently and had to find a way to work through the situations together. Or at times one was stronger than the other and visa versa. The greatest joy was having children. I could not imagine my life without them.

Now that 34 years has passed we don’t sweat about the small things like we used to, we now joke and laugh at each other – most times! We have come full circle – the boys have left home (sometime ago!) and we are on our own once again and 
loving it!! 

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?
I am still the same person with the same values and beliefs. Maturity and life experiences over the years has taught me to be a little calmer and to wait on the Lord for change. What makes it sweeter is that Moresby has been my anchor when I have been emotional (blame it on my Greek heritage!) and I felt like a little boat bopping up and down on the sea of life.

I still have my wedding dress so I pulled it out and ironed it to photograph it for all to see. It is still in good condition, as if it was made yesterday except I that I can no longer fit into it!

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?
happy, content, safe. 

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you've learnt the hard way?
Oh yes! Chat about everything BEFORE you get married e.g. each others role in the marriage, finances etc. Ask advice and guidance from older couples who set a good example. Good marriages don’t just happen, it takes communication and hard work . Always appreciate your spouse’s good qualities. If you only focus on each others faults and weaknesses you will become discontented. I know it can be hard at times! Remember, love is not a feeling: it is an unconditional commitment. Trust and forgive because there will be many times when you will need forgiveness! And lastly, try your best to respect and talk kindly to each other. I admit it is not always easy but you will reap the rewards if you do. 

To my husband: Thank you for being honest and kind. A man who loves the Lord and a good example to our sons. On a lighter note: thank-you for helping me make our bed every day for the last 34 years!
Ephesians: 5:33 "However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband"

You can find Irene at the following places:
Blog LuLu-Yesteryear Redeemed
Facebook: Lulu Shop

If you enjoyed this post, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! If you would like to be featured here in this series, please do drop me a message here, I'd love to hear from you.
x

Blogging...Where to Begin. Day 4 of our {Creative Business} Series

Welcome to Day 4 of our Creative Business series.  So far we've had Caitlyn answer the question: 'What's the most important question to ask yourself before starting your own business?' on Caitlyn de Beer Life Coaching. Megan addressed the question: ‘Should you combine many passions or just choose one?” on Megan Galloway Growth Coach. Ilze write on: 'The importance of Professionalism – website & photo’s' on Ilze Louw Photography, and now here I am to introduce you to the world of blogging.

Blogging. Everyone seems to be doing it and as a newbie blogger it can all seem very intimidating.

But that's where I come in. I will be sharing with you tips for starting your blog as well as some advice for growing your blog and getting it to where you want to be.

If you have any questions at anytime, feel free to pop me a line on Facebook, or drop me a comment below this post. 

A blog is a 'mini-website' in that you ideally are able to run everything by yourself, without having to have designers make changes for you. A blog is a space for you to share what you love with the world, to journal, to keep memories and of course as a space for you to market and sell your product.

Here are some of the most popular blogging platforms, all of which cost nothing to set up:

Wordpress (to be clear I am referring to the free version of Wordpress, click here for more info), Blogger. Tumblr

My blog used to be on "Blogger" and that is why it had the 'blogspot' segment on the end. It is completely free and was my favourite platform due to it being so very user friendly and easy to navigate around. Also, it is implemented with Google so if you use Gmail/Google Plus etc everything works seamlessly.

Wordpress is another favorite in the blogging world, but I find it isn't as user-friendly as Blogger. But, if you have to time to fiddle and play around it can be a lot more powerful!

To go "dot com" and drop the 'blogspot/wordpress" you have to buy a domain name through a site like GoDaddy for Blogger, and through Wordpress.com for Wordpress (to learn more about the difference between Wordpress & Wordpress.org click here).

I launched my new website (this one) last year on a relatively new platform called SquareSpace (see image above). It doesn't have a free version (only a 14 day trial for users to test to see if they like it) but with the paid for package it includes a domain name, so you don't have to worry about going through an external site like GoDaddy. And the templates are just gorgeous! Have a look for yourself...click here. Their target markets are artists (photographers, designers, small business owners and bloggers) and their platform is built on providing users with a media rich experience. Think clean lines, and beautiful design. I am so happy with them! My blog looks a lot more professional with SquareSpace and I am able to change all the design myself without any coding!

At the end of the day, what platform you choose is all about personal preference. I know people are often very interested in Wix as their marketing is very good and you often see their adverts all over Facebook, but I found Wix was to hard to make changes an their free platform is very limiting. I would stick with bloggger or make the move straight away to Squarespace if you want to be taken seriously. 

This is a really important question to ask yourself before you even think about starting as it will form the building blocks of your business/brand. This is different for everyone. Some people enjoy seeing their words and thoughts come alive on the page, others enjoy the feeling of affirmation that comes from gaining another follower or like on Facebook. I have loved meeting new friends through my blog, as well as the outlet it has given me to be creative, something I never dreamed was possible.

Whatever your reasons are for first wanting to start your blog, write them down (I've created a fun brainstorm printable for you to download and print out to help you along your way), so when you start to feel guilty for not having written a post in months don't beat yourself up about it. Instead, go back to your list and remind yourself of the real reasons you wanted to blog in the first place, I'm sure you will feel inspired to get started again. You will go through times of frustration with your blog, and sometimes all thats needed is a little time off to feel inspired again.

BUT if the main motivation behind why you want to start a blog is to make money or to get sent items to review, then I am terribly sorry to bust your bubble but this only happens to a tiny amount of bloggers. If your main goal is to make money, your readers will very quickly pick up on this and stop reading. Your readers want to be entertained, inspired and motivated, so give them that. If you are passionate about your content your readers will be too!

As important as the why is behind your blog, your branding is what differentiates you from everyone else and makes your blog special. If you take your blog seriously, so will everyone who reads it. One way to make that leap into the realm of 'seriousness' is by building a brand around your blog. To help you with this, you need to create a consistent message, and have everything you do, on and off the blog, send the same message. Think email signatures, blog headers, blog side bars, business cards, stamps, personalized stationery...the list is endless. And all of this needn't cost a fortune. The simplest way to build the foundation for your brand is with choosing a particular colour scheme, fonts and a basic design. You can get the help of a graphic designer if you really want to go that extra step, but the majority of the basic blogging platforms like Blogger, offer loads of customization options built into them. Think about your target audience (are they young and funky, in which case bright colours would work well. Or are they slightly older and more conventional in their thinking? Then a modern, clean and classic design and layout would probably work better).

By filling in the free mind map printable found below, you will be able to build your brand around the 'What do you love' section. If you love nature and the outdoors, your chosen colour scheme might revolve around earthy colours like khaki and emerald. Here is a great website to get your mind around colour combinations...Design Seeds. Here are a few more tips for the basic design of your blog to help you formulate your brand {click here}

After you've given some thought to your branding, now here comes the hard part. Picking a name for your blog. Your blogs' name sets the tone for your brand (and of course will have implications for showing up in google searches) so pick carefully. See who already has your name, or anything similar to it with a basic google search. Choose something that won't be outdated in a few years (and you should definitely be seeing your blog in terms of the future and "In a few years time" kind of way. 

Don't let this overwhelm you. We all have to start somewhere (click here to see my first few blog posts, eek...I'm glad I have them to look back on!) we learn by experience and our tastes change as we get older. Embrace that and let your blog grow with you into something you are proud of. 

I find I am at my least creative when I stare at other peoples awesome blogs all day. I find I am unable to think of anything new or original to write about. How I deal with this (and I have my incredibly creative husband to thank for most of my ideas) is to go for a walk, camera in hand, and snap away at anything and everything that takes my fancy. Sometimes I take a notebook and jot down notes about my day, about the people I see around me, about the things I want to do with my life. Pretty soon I have a messy jumble of potential content for my blog. Look around your world, your office, your family, your community for idea's. Do you work with some strange and fascinating people, what about interviewing them on your blog? What about doing a post about a day in your life (with photo's of everything that makes your day unique)? The world around us is so rich with colour and life, its an endless supply of idea's if we just take the time to look.

I used to think that my blog would become popular by just reposting great content I found on sites like We Heart It and Pinterest. I've now come to realise that there are too many mediocre blogs out there that just repost other peoples creative content. That's why I try to post original content on my blog. That doesn't mean I don't 'borrow' idea's from other bloggers, but it does mean that if I want to showcase an awesome DIY lampshade, I will try to make that lampshade myself, take my own photo's and write in my own words how to go about making one yourself. And I always make sure to link back to the original source of the idea, as a way of saying thank you for the idea.

But now I'm getting distracted...the title of this tip is to take your own photographs. You really don't have to have an amazing camera to take incredible photo's. You just need to play, and fiddle with your camera and the angles to get your photograph just right. This is how I started getting into photography. Etsy has a great article on taking better product photographs, click here to have a read.

The most important thing with taking photo's for your blog is to take, and take, and take, and take some more! For this one photograph, it took 9 takes until I was happy with it one. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, you can always hit the delete button!

Most bloggers would probably think I'm crazy for saying this, but for me it works. I am a very organized person, I love to plan EVERYTHING and my favourite past time is making lists (can you say *nerd*). But I find that if I spend too long planning a blog post, I lose interest in it and it stays in my draft box for weeks, even months without ever seeing the light of day. If an idea comes to mind, I straight away log onto my blog, start a new post, and I just roll with it. I try not to leave it till the next day to finish it, as I often get distracted by the next post. In some ways I find this helps me stay inspired as I am always putting new content up, and my readers know that they can come back every day or so for something new. This pressure helps me to stay motivated to continue putting posts out there!

Your readers want to know about you, so be true to yourself. This doesn't mean gushing about each and every last detail of your day and how depressed you feel after finding out that your local Woolies Food was out of fresh basil. But rather, this means writing in your own voice and letting your personality shine through the page. Don't be scared to put yourself/your business/your idea's out there, your readers will respond to your 'genuineness'.

This is the question I get asked the most by my readers, and it's what I still ask myself! But, I'm afraid there is not secret. There is no hard and fast way to gain 100 new followers on twitter, or to get 1000 new page views in minutes. 

You just have to be patient. You have to provide content that your readers will enjoy, and you have to do so constantly. There is nothing worse than stumbling onto an awesome blog only to see they haven't updated since last year January. A good way to share the blog love is to leave comments on other blogs that you enjoy reading. It's a wonderful feeling getting just one comment on my blog (I am speaking from my own experience here) and if that is the case with you too, then why not take some time to leave thoughtful and meaningful comments on some of your favourite blogs. Don't feel that your one comment may mean nothing if there are 999 others on the blog, as a blogger I can tell you that each and every single comment leaves me with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Take some time to connect with your favourite bloggers on Twitter and Instagram, reply to each and every tweet your receive, as well as to each comment you may get on Instagram. This helps to build meaningful and long lasting relationships with your readers and followers.

Find your niche, whatever that may be, and stick with it. I have had a real hard time in narrowing down my focus here on CityGirlSearching, I was trying to do too much and was scared to commit myself to one box. I'm not a beauty blogger, but I like writing beauty reviews, I am not a travel blogger, but I do go to some amazing places and I want to share the photographs with my readers, I'm not an expert in fashion but I do like sharing the odd outfit post. All of these different elements led me to define myself as a 'lifestyle blogger' but I still don't let that term fully define who I am here on the blog. This blog is a space for me to share pretty-ness...be it in fashion, beauty, in the home or in another country.

Here are some of my favourite bloggers (some are local ladies, and others are International). Use this list as a guide & to learn from what these ladies are doing right. Focus on their blog design, their photographs, their content, see how they engage with their followers, and then apply it to your own blog:

Indieberries hilarious cartoons by local SA blogger Che

Nadia vd Mescht beautifully crafted blog by Durban creative Nadia

EmmaJaneNation one of the first blogs I ever started following by lovely local SA blogger Emma (her photography is gorgeous!

Vivianna Does Makeup one of my all time favourite beauty blogs written by Vivianna

A Beautiful Mess a funky and fresh lifestyle blog by Emma & Elsie

MilkTeef lovely beauty and lifestyle blog by the sweet Emma

Milk Bubble Tea such pretty-ness by Becky

WishWishWish fashion done right! A gorgeous blog by Carrie

SuperficialGirls another local SA lady; Carlinn, who focuses on fashion & beauty

PinkPeonies lovely Luzanne writes this beautiful beauty blog

PuglyPixel design tips and tutorials from the fabulous Katrina

Lost in Travels a travel blog to inspire your wonderlust (and lots of tips for traveling with your hubby, as well as keeping on a budget!) by Chelsea

Cupcakes and Cashmere a super inspiring lifestyle blog by the gorgeous Emily

I could go on for days about starting up your first blog, but the biggest piece of advice I can leave you with today is don't ever give up. I {often} have days where I feel like no one reads this blog, and that I put so much time and effort into it and I get so little back. Other days I want to high five ever person I see because I got more than 3 likes on a photograph on Facebook. If you are doing what you love, then it will never be work.

Above is a freebie printable I've created to help you in your blogging journey.

Try to fill it in before you start your blog, to give you more focus and direction. Here is mine, filled out and taped onto the wall, to help remind me of where I am and where I want go. Below is more detail to help you fill in the blog brainstorm printable.

*Why blog: jot down all the reasons you want to blog, from wanting to be a superstar celebrity to wanting to create a place to journal your thoughts and dreams. Nothing is too small or insignificant.

*What do you Love: write down all the things you love (eg family, friends, God, nature, fashion, beauty, design, interiors, photography...) then cross off those that are too personal, or those you wouldn't want to publish all over the interweb. What you are left with is a list of elements that make up you! This will help you with later on with your branding.

*Sharing your Love: list the ways in which you want to blog (through photographs, by writing, by drawing and illustrating, by creating cartoons and other graphic based content). This is how you will express yourself on your blog.

*Creating Content: List some of the ways I have outlined above here, and any others you can think of (reading other blogs, going for walks, photographing random events and elements, journaling...etc)

*Growing Readers: List some of the ways I have outlined above (networking, leaving comments on other blogs, tweeting, Facebook mentions, emailing potential clients/others in your industry) and add your own ideas too.

*Your branding: create a board on Pinterest (you can make it secret if you don't want anyone to see it just yet) and start pining every thing that takes your fancy from colours to fonts, to design, to blog layouts. Have a look at this board for some inspiration. You need to choose a maximum of 3 or 4 colours, then 2 fonts that you want to use to help keep your brand cohesive.

I hope you have enjoyed my post on blogging, and I hope that some of it has been useful to you. If you have any questions, please drop me a comment below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Happy blogging everyone

x

Getting to know you {Inspired by The Barn Blog}

The lovely Allyssa at The Barn Blog {one of my all time favourite design blogs} did a post a short time ago entitled "Getting to Know you" as part of a series she runs aimed at getting to know her readers better. Such a lovely idea!

So, I am using her post as some inspiration here, and of course to help me get to know you better, my dear readers, better.

Here are a few questions I'd love to know your answers to. And to kick things off, below are my answers too.

1. Do you have a secret talent?
2. What is your favourite meal of the day?
3. What Disney character are you?
4. How do you take your tea/coffee?

{That's me with my strong and sweet cup of tea!}

1. Hmmm...I'm not sure how secret this, or how much I can call this a talent but I am pretty good at cleaning. And I'm not just talking about washing a few dishes here :) I'm talking about the kind of cleaning that needs a lot of scrubbing and plenty of elbow grease. I'm not sure why, but after scrubbing and cleaning I am always left feeling refreshed and happy. It's good for my house, and good for me (as bizarre as it might sound). Oh, I'm also pretty good at baking, even though I very rarely follow a recipe (a little of this and a little less of that goes a long way in my kitchen) and somehow the majority of my booked goods turn out to be delicious!

2. My favourite meal of the day has got to be breakfast. Throw in some pancakes, bacon, a little maple syrup, some freshly cut fruit and I am a very happy chappy.

3. I think I am most like Princess Jasmine (every girl wants to be a princess!) in that I am free-spirited, headstrong and at times very willful. Jasmine is also kind and caring, and is considered to be clever and intelligent (I like the last part!). She also has a love for adventure, and often accompanies Aladdin on his journeys.

4. I take my {TEA} strong, with milk and quite a bit of sugar...I have rather a sweet tooth!

I look forward to reading and learning more about you! 

x

Don't forget to pop on over to Megan's blog later today where she will be addressing the question:

"Should you combine many passions or just choose one?” for the second day of our Creative Business series {CLICK HERE for more info on our series}

Connect with Megan on Twitter @meganjgalloway and on Facebook. 

DIY Advent Calendars {Christmas Inspiration}

Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate the end of another year and the lead up to Christmas than with a home made Advent Calendar. Christmas isn't as big here in South Korea as it is back home in South Africa, we even work right up until Christmas eve and only have Christmas day off. So, to get into the spirit, my lovely friend and fellow South African blogger Caitlyn has organized a ladies craft morning next weekend where we are all going to me making advent calendars for each other. I am very much looking forward to it, and of course I am armed with gorgeous pieces of stationery (and washi tape...don't forget about the washi tape!). 

Here are a few ideas for you, so that you too can get crafty. Don't forget to enter my Stationery Giveaway {CLICK HERE} where you can win your own pretty package of special stationery all the way from here in Korea!

{A Bubbly Life}

{A Merry Mishap}

{A few Things from My Life}

{Stylizio}

{AntiLight Craft}

This week marks the start of our {Creative Business} series! Today Caitlyn is sharing 'What's the most important question to ask yourself before starting your own business?' on Caitlyn de Beer Life Coaching. Make sure to pop on over there today.

You can connect with Caitlyn on Twitter @caitlyndebeer and onFacebook.

Happy Weekend!

Dear lovely readers,

I found this quote floating about on the interweb and really had a good giggle when I read it. So I thought I'd pop it on a photograph of some delicious vanilla almond shortbread I baked earlier this year. I hope it makes you smile.

Happy weekend everyone!

Don't forget about the wonderful {Creative Business} series starting on Monday, where nine lovely South African ladies will share their advice on starting your own creative business!

And of course, if you haven't done so already, make sure get your entries into my stationery competition {CLICK HERE} to win a pretty package of some of these goodies:

Creative Series Launch... Two Weeks of Tips for starting your own {Creative Business}

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own creative business but have had no idea where to even begin???

Starting on the 18th November, 9 of us South African bloggers and creatives we will be launching a  hugely exciting blog collaboration series where we’ll be looking at 9 of the top tips we believe you need to get started with your own creative business.

An introduction to the series: 
Let me introduce you to the lady leading us in all in this awesome series; Caitlyn de Beer. I did a photoshoot for her a little while ago (click here to see photographs of this gorgeous and talented young lady) and redesigned her new blog. Here is what this series is all about, from the lady herself:

"I started my own business just under a year ago and as one does, I have learnt so much along the way. I am so passionate about people stepping out of their comfort zones and actively pursuing their dream job. I have met a number of creative’s through my Coaching as well as my life, many of whom, have BIG dreams of starting amazing photography, jewelry, life coaching, interior design, beauty, writing, art, graphic design, image consulting and fashion, but have no idea where to begin.

In an attempt to spark that dream in your heart again, and to help bring it to life, I have put together a 9-day series called “Tips to starting your own creative business”. I do not claim to be an expert on all the areas I wanted to cover, and so I contacted a number of amazing, creative woman all of whom have started their own creative businesses in the past few years. Over the next 9 days, these women along with myself, will be sharing on topics I feel they have earned a right to be considered ‘experts’ in.
Expect to be challenged, inspired and motivated to get going with creating your dream job!!"

Now, if only I had been able to follow along in a series like this when I first started blogging. I had to learn a lot of things the hard way, so here's to hoping some of these tips help you get started with your creative business!

Here’s the coming weeks line up:

PS - I’d seriously advise subscribing to each of these blogs, so you don’t miss out on any of the awesome posts in this Series. This series of posts are NOT to be missed!! *Click each image to see more about each post

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Lastly, here are 10 reasons why you should follow our series:

1. According to Startup.com, the average age for people to start their own businesses is between ages 35 – 40. Why remain ‘average’?? Make your big move now. Get something going, no matter how small it is and you’ll be 10 steps ahead of the rest of your market when you reach their age.

2. Why live another day with your talent remaining hidden from the world.

3. You can learn from our mistakes and thus save yourself time and money!

4. We even share advice on how it’s possible for you to finance your business & lifestyle, when you don’t have big startup capital available.

5. You will have our details, so if you ever need business advice in future; we will only be an email away.

6. It’s FREE!!!

7. Who knows, this series may one day be a part of your “How I became famous” story J

8. You can stay in contact with the blog collaborators and thus start building your network immediately.

9. If you leave comments on our posts, we may just ask you to write a Guest post on one of our blogs. That way, you’ll get your business out there sooner than you imagined!

10. We’ve taken the plunge and trust us, it’s the BEST decision we ever made. Now…it’s your time to shine!! 

Know someone who could benefit from our series??  Click here to tweet

Christmas Styled Shoot

A little peek into a lovely styled shoot I did this weekend...and a shot of behind the scenes (it is winter here so please excuse the oversized pj's!) to give you an idea of what goes into a photoshoot like this one.

Happy Tuesday everyone, Christmas is just around the corner!
x

Life After the Dress {Episode 2}...Chelsea Diamond

I am so excited to introuduce you all to the second lovely lady in my new series {Life After the Dress}. I started this series last month with Natalie Hutton (click here to read her story), and in it I will be interviewing ladies of all ages and asking them about their lives, after their big day. It is my hope that you feel inspired, and leave my blog feeling hopeful and happy, with renewed energy for your relationship, or excitement for what the future may hold for you.

For a lot of woman, it is too easy to get caught up in the fluff and glitter of the actual wedding day, and very little time and thought is spent on preparing for what comes after. Marriage is such a wonderful journey, and once the cake has been cut and the guest have left, it's just you and your new husband, and the rest of your lives.

I hope you enjoy reading Chelsea's story, I so looking forward to meeting this bundle of energy (her travel blog is just such a rich source of information, and she has wonderful advice for traveling with your hubby, and tips on keeping in your budget too!). You can pop on over to her blog here.

Enjoy!

x

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)

Hi everyone! I’m Chelsea and I blog over at Lost in Travels. A blog to spark your wanderlust, encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and explore, all while staying on budget! My husband and I were married three years ago when I was 22 and he was 27 (I’ll let you do the math ; ) Scared by the thought of ‘settling down’ after we got married, we packed our lives into two suitcases and headed half way around the world to South Korea to teach English. We’ve been here almost three years now and haven’t looked back!

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?

I had to think about this one since it’s been awhile since I’ve seen the movies! I would have to say Ariel based on her sense of adventure and curiosity of the unknown!

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?

My husband and I have a little bit of a different story. Long story short, I saw him through friends in common on Facebook and added him on a whim. After two months of talking, he got up the nerve to fly to Chicago from Tulsa where he was living and visit me for the first time. So the first time we actually met was in the domestic terminal of the O’hare airport! If you want more of the ooey gooey details you can read the whole story here.

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

I wish I could say that my wedding day went smooth but as with any big event, there are always bumps in the road. But with all that being said, nothing horrible happened and I still remember the day for the most important part, saying goodbye to dating and hello to life living with a boy!

My biggest advice to brides is to not sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day, it won’t matter anyway. I remember my mom rushing into the bridal suite hours before the wedding, stressed that the rental company had delivered one less tablecloth than we needed. Expecting me to be equally stressed by this I simply told her that we would have one less table then. I had gotten to the point that I didn’t care about the small details anymore, what did that matter when all I really wanted was to have fun that night and get to the honeymoon!

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?

Yes and no. Which I think every married woman can relate to. I was never one of those people with rose colored glasses on who thought that marriage was going to be love notes and snuggles in bed every day (even though I wish!) Marriage is challenging in new ways everyday. It stretches a person, makes them realize how much work a successful relationship really takes. Sacrifices must be made, feelings must be cared for and communication is key. I say all this but at the same time, it’s the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. When we look back at our relationship when we were first married, we thought is was so great. But we had no idea how much better it would get with time. But it takes all of that hard work and all of those trials to go through to get us to where we are today. Especially living abroad together we have learned to heavily rely on each other, to be each other’s biggest support system. Something I think would be possible if we never left the states but not in the magnitude that it is now.

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

I need to RELAX! I’ll be honest, I married a daredevil. The more dangerous the activity, the more my husband wants to do it. When we were first married I was so uptight! Always telling him to be careful, telling him not to do certain things because they were dangerous. After a year of this I learned that he’s a big boy and he loves me and therefore would never do anything that he knew was beyond his limits (duh). Too bad I didn’t learn that sooner!

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?

Adventurous, spontaneous, comfortable

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

Always be in pursuit of your love. After being married, it can become all too easy to get too comfortable in marriage and as a result stop trying. I encourage everyone to continue to date his or her spouse throughout your marriage.

You can find Chelsea at the following places:

• Blog: lostintravelsblog.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lost_in_travels
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LostInTravels

I hope you enjoyed reading the second post in my new blog series, if you did, leave me a note in the comments. I love hearing from you! x

If you would like be featured here on my blog, drop me an email (citygirlsearching-at-gmail-dot-com).

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

x

Trust

Most of the time life is just peachy here in Korea for the Huttons. I often get lovely emails from readers who tell me that they really love reading my blog, and that it looks as though we live the perfect lives. I am always thrilled to get such lovely messages from strangers, and most of the time, the reason everything seems to be so peachy is because I consider myself an incredibly positive person, who tries her best to make the most of every situation. And I believe this is really important. Life isn't perfect for us, its really, really good and we have lots to be thankful for, but at the same time, we try our absolute best to make the most of each and every difficult situation we find ourselves in. Like the time we booked an incredible trip to Mongolia (flights and all), and were told a week before that we had to cancel it due to our leave not being approved. Or the time that Farmboy was stranded on an Island for the best part of 2 days because of a storm. Or the fact that we miss our families a lot of the time and are scared that we may not see some of them ever again.

Though all of this, and the crazy situations we find ourselves in daily here in Korea, I try to think about how God is using the situation for his good. Often, I'm left feeling frustrated, and crying out about the unfairness of it all (one of the reasons that made leaving South Africa easy this year was that I was unable to find a job. Even with my degree, even with my postgraduate degrees, even with my skills in photography and design and social media, I was unable to find a job). But then God reminds me just how much I have to be thankful for. Despite my inner turmoil and feelings of inadequacy, He reminds me just how much I have accomplished, and how much I am still going to do. 

The past few days have been incredibly stressful in our little household. My computer has been freaking out, and as I use my computer for just aboutEVERYTHING I do, this has been a pretty bad thing. I have a Macbook Pro, an awesomely powerful machine which has been excellent for all of the design and photography I have been up to lately, but, being such a powerful machine, it's going to be extremely expensive to repair. Apple don't ever repair faults, they replace. So, even if it's a small part that has given up the ghost, they will be replacing my mainboard. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that, and I will be finding out later this week.

In the meantime, I have loads of projects I am working on, client photographs to edit, my new website and online store to finalise and launch, and I have no computer. Needless to say I have been very grouchy and feeling a bit like the world is going to end. I have been taking on too much, and something as small as my computer going on the brink should not be having such a devastating effect on me. 

BUT, after the tears and the shouting (my poor husband has had to deal with a bit of a monster the last week) I have finally got the point of it all. I know that God is trying to teach me something (I am not 100% of what it is yet) but I know that I have been spending far too much time caught up in the online world, and my blog, and I have been missing out on a lot of 'real' life. I have been missing out on small moments that I should be enjoying with my husband. Instead I have been huddled up in bed, intensely focused on my blog and Facebook and twitter and Instagram and and and. Looking up only vaguely to grunt a thank you for the copious cups of tea being handed to me.

And just when I thought I might hit breaking point yesterday, I saw the above quote. It has helped put things into perspective for me, and I hope it does the same for you. 

Here's to a new week, seven new days full of promise and hope, and life and laughter. And chocolate, there's always chocolate!

x

Life After the Dress {Episode 1}...Natalie Hutton

I am very excited to introduce you to the first lovely lady in my new blog series entitled "Life After the Dress". In this series I am going to be interviewing lots of different women from all walks of life, and asking them about their lives after all the fluff and excitement of their big day. I hope that their stories and words of wisdom will inspire you, and that you enjoy following along in this series as much as I have loved putting it together. 

I also hope that those of my readers who may not be in a relationship or who may not be anywhere near ready for marriage, may feel inspired by these wonderful and very different stories. There is no cookie cutter for the perfect relationship. Life is about learning and growing, and trying to be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. If you are able to be that person with someone else, how wonderful. But that is not always the case. Be happy and content with where you are right now, you never know what {or who} may be waiting around the corner.

I am very happy to now leave you in the hands of Natalie (who is actually my very own sister-in-law!). 

Welcome Nats! It's so special for me to have you here.

Enjoy!

x

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)
Hi there. My name is Natalie and I am married to a dashing Hutton called John. Our birthdays are 72 days apart (not sure why we know that!), making us both 29 years old at present and we are coming up to our fifth wedding anniversary in December! We live in our newly bought first home in a little village in the Midlands called Hilton, in South Africa. John is the best English teacher in the land, and I am currently loving children through remedial teaching at a local primary school. I'll be going back to university next year though to finish my studies towards becoming an Educational Psychologist.

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?
I think I would have to say Ariel from “The Little Mermaid.” Ariel is clumsy, I have no shortage of that! She is also a bit whimsical and shy, and she gets insecure about her decisions– but she is daring enough to hold fast to her dreams (especially when it comes to her prince). 

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?
I used to joke that I was going to university to find a husband....and I did haha! John and I were in the same church at Rhodes University and we were both involved in similar things – he was a youth leader, I was involved with the kids church; we went to the same camps; we had the same friends; we took the same subjects...there were lots of places that we saw each other but we didn't really know one another. He was known as Twitch back then – he was one of the popular gentlemen amongst our greater circle of friends at Rhodes University. All the girls loved him! I, on the other hand, was a super-nerd and hardly had a social life. My nickname was Fishalie (my maiden name is Sturgeon which is a type of fish; Natalie+fish=Fishalie). I was shy and worked a lot! I remember the first time I hung out with Twitch in 2006. A group of us were in his res room and we sat chatting and cracking pecan nuts from his farm for hours. He was a third year then and I was a second year. He had long hair and really wasn't my type. Then Twitch started doing sweet things for me: he'd leave cryptic notes on my windscreen wipers; walk me home across campus with an umbrella on rainy evenings; wash my dusty car; plan his route home via my res in the hope that he'd 'bump' into me...And then for the 6 days leading up to my birthday in 2007, he left me a birthday present every single day – either on my car or on my res doorstep – and this just blew me away. He was so romantic about this friendship pursuit! However, I was terribly cautious and 'ran' in the opposite direction until one night. John arrived at my res one , unannounced. I was studying (surprise surprise!) We still hardly knew each other then but he asked if he could have some Rooibos with me. To this day he mocks me that I had no sugar or milk for him and assumed he drank it black and bland like I did. I brought it out to him and to my surprise, I walked with him to the garden outside my res where we sat for hours chatting, watching the moon and looking at the stars. If you'd known me back then, you'd know how uncharacteristic this was. It was all terribly romantic and I have been lost in him ever since....It was only months later that I visited him on his farm in Creighton and he took me for a walk which lead to a picnic laid out for us amongst hay bales, where he read me a hand-written poem and asked me to be his girlfriend! 

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?
Our wedding day was a beautiful start to our marriage. At about midnight the night before our wedding, there was a humongous electric storm. It made me panic a bit, but I also believe that God knows every inch of our souls, and it almost felt like a gift because we both adore thunder storms. The weather played nicely for the actual day and it was cloudy for our photographs which allowed for gorgeous photos by our now world famous photographers – Jon and Tina Reid (based in London). Also, a good friend composed our wedding march, and two others wrote and performed a song for us. We were surrounded by love and beauty on the day. It really was a wonderful way to begin our precious journey together! 

If I could go back now, there are little details I would change, but it will always be like that because you grow up, fashions change, your relationships change and you get to know yourself better in time. All these things are unknowns on the days leading up to your wedding though. Your wedding reflects who you are on the day you say “I do,”and that is what is important.

For all you beautiful brides-to-be: 

Do pre-marriage counseling and ask those hard questions so that you are on the same page on the day you walk down that aisle to your prince!

Get someone to video your wedding. After 5 years, I find myself watching our video more and more - it is perhaps my biggest wedding treasure (and it is such a tear jerker!).

Enjoy your engagement season – it only happens once. Your wedding isn't the event, your marriage is. So build that friendship and enjoy that wedding day!

And finally, decide now not to worry about anything that goes wrong on your wedding day – your bridal party will take care of it!

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be?
It has, by far, been the richest 5 years of my life. I feel like it has been unique for us in that we spent the first 3 years of our marriage in Japan which was completely removed from everything familiar and comfortable. So we became each other's comfort and companions and that was a treasured start to our 
marriage. We have had the opportunity to travel to fun places like Thailand, Philippines and China, and at times it felt like we were having a three year honeymoon. Marriage has been much more fun than I expected.

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?
I am a control freak and I am a lot more sensitive than I thought. I am not always right. God made John to complete my life and this has restored some broken areas in my life. Marriage has been a personal journey for me in getting to know my true self and that has been so exciting and wonderful! I have also discovered the hidden geek in me; that house work isn't my favourite hobby; and that I love 
TV series and desserts more than I ever knew I did (it is so nice to share with someone.)

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?
Speck. Tack. Cooler. (aka spectacular)
Real answer:
Friendship. Beautiful. Fire. 

 Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

I am humbled by marriage and it is a beautiful, challenging and constant refiner. I'll never forget these pearls from our pre-marriage counseling: Put God first because a cord of 3 strands is not easily broken; and just be the first one to say sorry.

I hope you enjoyed reading the first post in my new blog series. If you would like be featured here on my blog, drop me an email (citygirlsearching-at-gmail-dot-com). I look forward to hearing from you!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

x

Don't quit, keep playing.

I stumbled across this delightful story this morning that I want to share with you.

{source} 

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked NO ADMITTANCE.

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy was sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."

Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was so mesmerized they couldn't recall what else the great master played. Only the classic "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

That's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."

Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.

Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great things. Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than the things you acquire".

****

I found the above on a wonderful website called " Inspire 21" filled with inspirational messages. The site is the perfect place for those days when you wake up feeling a bit 'blaahh' and need something to remind you of where you are heading in life. Often we feel that we are so incapable or ill equipped to deal with the many challenges life throws at us, but you just gotta' keep playing. You will be given all skills and tools you need need to succeed along the way, but you've got to keep at it in order to get there.

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone.

x

{Life After The Dress}...interviews with brides after their big day

I haven't done many interviews here on the blog, but the few that I have done I have really enjoyed. Now, having been married for just over a year, I've been thinking about the weeks and months leading up to my wedding day. Did I imagine life would be like this? How much did I think being married would change our relationship? Has it been easy? Would all our issues disappear the moment we seal our futures with a kiss?

These were all questions I know I was asking myself before the big day, and so I thought it might be nice (and useful to those ladies out there who are about to get married) that I interview some women who are married and get their perspectives on married life. Being married has been one of the most wonderful adventures I have ever been on. There have been ups and downs, naturally, but it has been a fun-filled roller coaster of self discovery and joy.

I am wanting to interview a whole range of married woman here on my blog; young, old and newlyweds.

If you would like to feature here, I'd love to hear from you. Please do drop me a line here (or use the contact page above).

I look forward to hearing from you!

I hope you enjoy this new series, and if you have any questions, queries or ideas for what to include, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.

I will be introducing you to the first lovely lady next week!

{Baking Pinspiration}

Some pinspiration to get you back into your kitchen, and to the oven! 

Aren't these images just so beautiful too?! For more like these, pop on over to my Pinterest boards  and feast your eyes.

Happy Baking!

xxx

1. Call Me Cupcake 'Buttercream Ruffle Cake'

 2. Amelia 'Coconut Cupcakes'

 3. Sprinkle Bakes 'Pink Vanilla Pocky Cake'

 4. Canelle et Vanille 'Gluten free Coconut Donuts'

 5.Mowielicious 'Japanese Cotton Soft Cheescake' 

 6. Chi ha rubato le crostate 'Rose Yogurt'

{Minty Fresh}

These are a few images I've pinned onto my {pastel} Pinterest board lately...

I just love these soft hues of mint & sea green